Defense Ministry Clears Rs 2.12 Lakh Crore Defense Deals

India has approved major defense deals worth around Rs 2.12 lakh crore to strengthen its armed forces. The Defense Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, granted Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for the capital acquisition proposals on Monday.

Around 82 percent of the proposed procurements will come from Indian industry. The approvals cover the Army, Navy, and Air Force, with a focus on improving mobility, surveillance, firepower, and air defense capabilities.

The latest defense deals approvals also highlight India's push to strengthen domestic defense manufacturing while upgrading military equipment. The proposals include advanced weapon systems, helicopters, surveillance platforms, and equipment designed to counter emerging threats.

Army to Get Advanced Weapons, Drones and Air Defense Systems

The Army received approvals for several systems intended to improve operational readiness, mobility, surveillance, and combat capabilities. These include:

• High-mobility vehicles: Designed to improve logistics and movement across difficult terrain.
• Self-propelled tracked gun system: Expected to provide mechanized formations with greater mobility and firepower.
• Gun Shot Response System: Intended to improve real-time situational awareness and help troops respond to firing incidents.
• Light multi-role helicopters: Designed to support reconnaissance, combat, search-and-rescue, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations.
• Very short-range air defense systems: Intended to strengthen protection against aerial threats.
• Counter-unmanned aerial systems: Designed to help counter hostile drones.
• Surveillance UAVs: Expected to strengthen monitoring and reconnaissance capabilities.
• Integrated surveillance and strike system: Intended to improve surveillance and targeting.
• Long-range kamikaze drones: Designed to support precision strike operations against designated targets.

Together, these acquisitions are aimed at improving the Army's ability to operate across challenging terrain and respond to changing battlefield conditions. The focus on drones, surveillance, and air defense also reflects the growing importance of unmanned systems and aerial threat detection in modern warfare.

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Navy and Air Force to Receive New Capabilities

The DAC also cleared proposals for the Navy, including an Active Offboard Decoy System and other major naval platforms.

The Active Offboard Decoy System is expected to improve the Navy's defense against modern anti-ship missiles. It is designed to help protect naval vessels by drawing incoming missile threats away from their intended targets.

The other naval platforms, designed and built indigenously, are expected to strengthen the Navy's combat capabilities. The emphasis on domestic development and manufacturing also supports India's broader defense self-reliance objectives.

For the Air Force, the approvals cover helicopters, air defense systems, weapons, and mobile X-band Doppler weather radar systems.

Special utility helicopters will help meet the Air Force's air transport requirements. Meanwhile, mobile X-band Doppler weather radars will provide high-resolution, localized weather surveillance in forward areas. This information can support operational planning and help military personnel assess changing weather conditions.

The latest defense deals approvals cover a broad range of military requirements, from frontline combat systems to logistics and weather monitoring. With around 82 percent of the proposed procurement value directed toward Indian industry, the approvals are also expected to support domestic defense manufacturing. The acquisitions aim to strengthen the operational capabilities of all three services as India continues to modernize its armed forces.